Improving Functions in MTBI Patients With Headache by rTMS

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Due to recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the number of Veteran suffering from Mild traumatic brain(MTBI) injury and PTSD increases rapidly. Headache is one of the most debilitating clinical symptoms in Veteran with MTBI and the cause of it is still not entirely clear. Recently, the use of non-invasive brain stimulation such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) has yielded favorable clinical outcome in a few intractable chronic central pain conditions including headaches. This study aims to 1) assess the effect of rTMS in relieving headache and improving neurophysiological functions; and 2)explore the neuronal mechanisms associated with MTBI related headache and the analgesic effect of rTMS with function magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Percent Change in Composite Score of Debilitating Headache (Intensity x Duration x Frequency) [ Time Frame: Subjects will have a total of 9 visits over the span of 3 months, the baseline, 1-week follow-up and 1-month follow up will qualify as a time point at which the outcome is measured and averaged. ]

The primary outcome time-point measurement will be averaged from each day the subject is enrolled in the study for each of the 3 time point periods: pre-treatment baseline, 1-week follow-up and 1-month follow-up. The results depict change in the composite score: intensity (scale of 0-10) x duration (# of hours) x frequency (# headaches per week). The larger composite score for each subject, the worse the debilitating headaches.

Percent Change in Persistent Headache Intensity [ Time Frame: Subjects will have a total of 9 visits over the span of 3 months, the baseline, 1-week follow-up and 1-month follow up will qualify as a time point at which the outcome is measured and averaged. ]

The persistent headache measure was assessed through a daily headache log over the course of the subjects participation in the study and averaged for the time point period of baseline, 1-week and 1-month results. The persistent headache is based on a scale of 0-10, the higher the persistent headache intensity averaged score the worse the persistent headache.

Percent Change in Persistent Headache Prevalence [ Time Frame: Subjects will have a total of 9 visits over the span of 3 months, the baseline, 1-week follow-up and 1-month follow up will qualify as a time point at which the outcome is measured. ]

The persistent headache prevalence measure was assessed through a daily headache log over the course of the subjects participation in the study and collected at baseline, 1-week and 1-month. The persistent headache is defined as having had 3+ continuous headaches over the course of the time point periods and was coded as either yes or no. The results indicate the percent change in the prevalence of persistent headaches for the subjects at the time points. A larger reduction percent indicates a larger decrease in subjects with those persistent headaches.

Secondary Outcome Measures :

Percent Change in Depression Score From Baseline to 1-Week Post-treatment [ Time Frame: Subjects will have a total of 9 visits over the span of 3 months and 3 of those visits will qualify as a time point at which outcome is measured. ]

Subjects assessed how their headaches interfered with their mood through the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression assessment at baseline, 1-week follow-up and 1-month follow-up. The outcome was measured by adding the score of each question on the assessment and then comparing the averaged scores at the different time points. The larger the depression score, the more severe the depression. A larger percent change in depression score indicates a change in the severity of the depression.

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